ASHRAE/IES proposes expanding climate zones for Energy Standard

ATLANTA – New proposed climate data could make the ASHRAE/IES energy standard more applicable for global use.

Addendum w is one of 10 proposed addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, was open for public comment starting December 5. The proposed addendum closes for review January 19, 2015.

The addendum was developed in response to an update of ASHRAE Standard 169-2013, Climatic Data for Building Design Standards, which now contains updated climate data and additional Climate Zone 0 with humid (0A) and dry (0B) zones. Addendum w adds this climate zone to 90.1, This has global implications for the standard as Climate Zone 0 does not exist in the United States and is primarily used in the equatorial regions of South America, Africa, Middle East, southern Asia and the south Pacific.

“It gives the standard more of an international view with maps and data never before available to users,” said Dru Crawley, chair of the Standard 169 committee. “Previously there was the single U.S. map. Now there are high-level (1 deg latitude/longitude) maps of the world, covering each continent and major countries.”

Other addenda open for public review are:

v revises fenestration orientation requirements

y adds a new approach to simplified building lighting

z clarifies and modifies the modeling of a baseline HVAC system with air source heat pumps and electric auxiliary heat

aa clarifies an exception in a table in the design model section

ad revises the preheat coil requirement for the baseline building model in Appendix G

ae updates a section related to definitions used with motors

af restores the specification of the rating conditioners for measuring efficiency of heat pump pool heaters

ag limits mechanical cooling for vestibules

ah clarifies lighting requirements

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment.